24 – Batman Returns (1992)

It is rare that a sequel be better than its predecessor. It has certainly happened before, with The Empire Strikes Back, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,and, some say, Godfather II. With Batman Returns we have another example.

Now I didn’t really like the previous movie, Batman, but this movie is one of my guilty pleasures. It has a great balance between zaniness and adventure, with great performances by Danny DeVito (The Penguin) and Michelle Pfieffer (Catwoman). Michael Keaton’s Batman takes a back seat to the villains, which works better than I would have thought it would. There is a surprising amount of humor in the movie,with Michelle Pfieffer showing amazing comic timing. Danny DeVito has quite a few jokes as well, although much of it involves sexual wordplay and innuendo. Many parents took offense to this, as Batman Returns was advertised as a family friendly movie; and I must admit I see their point. However, for adults obviously it poses no problem.

The pacing of the movie is great as well, with (thank the powers that be) no Prince music. Those were mainly what I took issue with in the first movie, but here there are no such snags. The movie clips along, taking us along for a thrilling and macabre ride. One shot in particular shows off Tim Burton’s fondness for model work; the camera skims along the snow covered ground at night, passes through the Gotham Zoo gates, and flies around the area, passing sinister ice covered structures before diving into the sewers. With Danny Elfman’s wonderful music accompanying it, that shot alone is worth the price of admission.

OVERALL

This movie is quite good, having a great sense of fun and adventure, but still delving into the bizarre once in a while for some great sequences. The comedy is great also. Batman Returns is without a doubt the best of the pre-Christopher Nolan Batman movies. However, you might want to leave the kids home for this one; many scenes would be quite scary for them, and the sexual references are a bit much for their age.